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Leather Jacket on the Bus

I got on the M4 on Madison Avenue after work. All of the seats at the front of the bus were occupied, except for one that had a black leather jacket on it.

The man in the seat in front of that one was busily pulling sweaters from a plastic bag and trying them on. I asked him if the leather jacket was his. He said it was a nice jacket and belonged to whoever wanted it.

I decided to move a few rows back. I watched everyone who got on after me ask the same question about the leather jacket.

The bus became crowded. A woman was explaining to everyone around her that the man would not claim the jacket, that it had come out of a plastic bag of what were probably thrift shop clothes and that it was in good condition.

She suggested that if someone wanted a seat they could move the leather jacket onto the floor. No one did.

Eventually, someone hung the leather jacket on the rail near the door. The passengers near the door decided that was a dangerous place for it, and a second woman brought it the bus driver. He said he wanted no part of it.